Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 gallery

Marvel at some of the fantastic photos competing for this year's prize

Photogenic plants, fascinating animals and dramatic landscapes are all ready for their close-ups in this annual photography competition and exhibition. A key component of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year show are the stories which accompany the photos, describing the often remarkable conditions under which each photographer captured their winning shot.

Marvel at our favourite ten photos from this year's competition. We think the winner is definitely amongst these stunning snaps but what do you think? Tell us which photo is your favourite in the comment box below.

'The underlying and mysterious vibrations of nature’.

Cezariusz is fascinated by creating what he calls ‘movances’ – images of stationary subjects made by moving the camera in various ways. He frequently travels in his home area, Podlasie in eastern Poland, with the sole purpose of taking movances, especially of trees. For this picture, ‘I first searched for the most beautiful silver birches in the region,’ he says. Then, from the train, he used a long exposure to achieve a series of images, moving the camera in the direction of travel. For Cezariusz, such pictures ‘reveal the underlying and mysterious vibrations of nature’.